What's New

April 30, 2010

D&D updates:
We played our last D&D session on the 17th of April. Here are couple of the updates from that meeting. With the conclusion of our 8 August meeting, the players have moved into an entirely new phase of the game. Gone are the S.C.R.E.W.O.F.F.S. - Existing now as a group of non-player characters. The player characters are now members of an entirely new group. The H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights. This new group of adventurers is poised to strike out from Whillip. In search of glory, fame, and justice, they seek to right the wrongs of this land. To defend the weak, enslaved and oppressed. Striking out at evil and taint, this group of characters vow to make their mark upon the land. Let H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights be a name both feared (by evil) and revered by the (good) citizens of these realms.

Note from the DM
As of 20 February, 2010, one of the players (Mark) has taken over the duties of DM. Mark and I have been planning this change for some time. It's something I like to do, when possible. Unfortunately, the opportunity doesn't present itself too often. Once the campaign has been established, and the players familiar with "Rob's World", I like to encourage full participation by sharing the duties of DM. Mark has written the adventure that the characters are currently engaged in, and I will relinquish DM duties while Mark makes all the big decisions. With Mark behind the podium, I'll do my best to enjoy the mystery, and keep Solmar alive. So, Mark and I have switched places. He'll be running the show, and I'll be playing Solmar. What fun! I'm certainly looking forward to the change of pace, the opportunity for adventure and the mystery of Deepwood. - Robert

3rd Edition Campaign:
I updated the date of our next meeting - Our next meeting is 29th of May 2010. We played on the 1st of May, but we're skipping the meeting on the 15th. This page (The "3eCampagin" page) is the first stop for information on the campaign that I'm currently running. Here you'll find information regarding our next meeting, some notes, and an index of web pages and documents that are important to our campaign. You can also check out the latest group photo.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ecampaign.html>

The Adventurers journal:
The tale of our adventurers. A series of journal entries from various party members. This document contains details of their encounters. Victory, defeat, desire and glory. Here is the tale of The H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights, a group of adventurers who set forth from Whillip, seeking fame, fortune and the defeat of evil in these lands. The meeting on the 17th of April sees the party out on the road. On their way to the next adventure. It's going to be a long overland journey, and there will be many more days just like this one. This entry features input from Mutteran. This session was one of combat. The meeting started with a hellish encounter. The party was attacked in broad daylight by a group of lion-like devils - Hellcats. They attacked invisibly, and did a considerable amount of damage before the party defeated them. Unfortunately, this attack came just a few hours before the big battle of the night. Later that evening (before midnight), the party became embroiled in an dangerous encounter with Gamorette and his gang of uber Orcs. While the battle rages on, you'll have to wait for additional updates to find out how it ends.
<https://www.robsworld.org/ajournal08.html#apr03 2010>

Character Updates:
Typically, the updates to this document revolve around the player characters. In this instance, it's an NPC with updates. Recent rumors put one NPC in the path of conflict with our player characters and other agents of good. Gamorette the renegade Orc leads a group of bandit followers. Raiding traders and settlements in the shadow of the Giant's Run Mountains. During our most recent meeting (on the 17th of Apr), the party found themselves engaged in a protracted battle with this renegade leader and his gang of bandits. While the party confirmed some of the rumors regarding this band of Orcs, there may be much more to learn. The "Who's Who?" page is a listing of characters, both player characters and non-player characters.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ewhoswho.html>

Monsters encountered:
On the road - As the party takes to the open road, they find themselves to be the target for numerous hungry, belligerent, and simply curious creatures. During our most recent gaming sessions, the party did battle with a group of lion-like devils - Hellcats. They attacked invisibly, and did a considerable amount of damage before the party defeated them. The monsters page is a listing of monsters that the party has encountered, read about, or heard of.
<https://www.robsworld.org/monsters.html>

These updates follow our meeting on the 17th of April . This session, and the previous ones (this year) represent the early days of a new adventure. The eighth adventure for our group. In search of glory, fame, and justice, the H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights seek to right the wrongs of this land. To defend the weak, enslaved and oppressed. Striking out at evil and taint, this group of characters vow to make their mark upon the land. Let H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights be a name feared by evil and revered by the good citizens of these realms. Departing on the 1st of Mavis, the party has decided to help the citizens of Deepwood in their quest to vanquish a Blue Dragon from their backyard. After picking up supplies, horses, and some information in Westgate, the party has taken to the open road. The road has proven dangerous and long. The party has fought many foes along the way, lost one of their own, and recruited a new companion to strengthen their numbers. With Gregor departed and Pyrceval enjoined, the party is back on the road again - Fighting Air Elementals, Chimeras, Tall Mouthers, and now Gamorette the renegade Orc and his gang of bandits. Be sure to tune in next time, for the conclusion of this critical combat session.
<https://www.robsworld.org/ajournal08.html#apr17_2010>
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ecampaign.html>

Wacky Colorado Weather:
And the weird weather just keeps on coming... While I was toiling away in the dungeon they call 'work', Colorado's weather was misbehavin'. When I left work on the morning of the 29th (at appx 0500MDT), I noticed that the Volvo was covered with mud! It mudded. Kim and I first encountered this odd weather phenomenon when we lived in Italy. With windy conditions preceding a rain storm, the air can become saturated with dust/fine dirt. That's what happened here. The previous two days were very windy, and there was a lot of dirt in the air. When the rain finally came down, it was super-saturated with dirt. The result? A vehicle coated in mud. The mud was so thick that I could barely see out the windshield. After a minute or two with the windshield washers, I was able to drive home. In addition to the muddy rain, we also got snow. Later in the day (on the 29th), the temps dropped into the low 30s, and a little bit of snow came down.

Just Finished Reading...
I finally finished reading a book that someone gave me for Christmas. Gone Missing! A supernatural tour of the great lakes by Dennis Boyer. It wasn't a bad book, and I actually enjoyed it. It was filled with tales of places and events from the places where I grew up. A literal tour of lakes Michigan and Superior. The towns, people, and folk lore of the area. It wasn't poorly written, but it wasn't the sort of book I might purchase for myself. While I thought it was a good book, I'm not going to add it to my 'Favorite Books' list. It's time to turn to something new.

I'm looking forward to many of the books on my bookshelf. I'm really interested in the 'Personal Effects' novel. It represents something 'novel' in books. It's a 'fiction' meets 'reality' concept. The book comes with numerous 'artifacts' and links to web sites, which involve the reader in a more substantial method of storytelling. I'm also looking forward to all those 'Dune' novels that I've been accumulating over the years. The Dune series is something I can't get enough of. Unfortunately, I've been wasting my time on this crappy book. While I'm waiting, I'll try out that 'new' Neal Stephenson (from the Cryptonomicon) series. The first book is called 'Quicksilver'. Fiction with historical backing and rich, period atmosphere. I'm certainly looking forward to it.
<https://www.robsworld.org/books.html>

Updates to the Southeast Aurora Neighborhood Watch website:
My odd-ball schedule actually works in my favor for some things. A couple of those activities are the community support activities which I enjoy - Volunteering with our local neighborhood watch, maintaining the Southeast Aurora Neighborhood Watch website and mailing lists. Here are a few changes I made at our Neighborhood Watch website in the last few days:

* Current: A web page dedicated to the most recent news, announcements and information. Here I posted a message from our PAR (Police Area Representative), Information on how to stay safe and avoid crime in the spring time. I also removed a banner for our next Neighborhood Watch picnic planning meeting.
* Events: I removed a paragraph for our next Neighborhood Watch picnic planning meeting. I also updated some info regarding our upcoming Neighborhood Watch annual picnic (May 15).
* Info: I update the info page, adding contact information for the area coordinator of the Southshore community. I also updated some info regarding the Neighborhood Watch's head area coordinator.

If you are a resident of Southeast Aurora, Colorado, you might want to check out our Southeast Aurora Neighborhood Watch website (Serving the following communities: Tollgate Crossing, Sorrel Ranch, The Wheatlands, Beacon Point, Southshore, Tallyn’s Reach, Saddle Rock - North, Serenity Ridge, Black Stone, Heritage Eagle Bend and Rocking Horse). The new site turned out very nicely, and I hope it serves our community well. If you're concerned about the safety and security of our community, you might want to join our group, or subscribe to one of our mailing lists to receive periodic alerts, updates and information.
<http://www.southeastaurora-neighborhoodwatch.org/Welcome.html>

Updates to the Tollgate Crossing Website:
My odd-ball schedule actually works in my favor for some things. A couple of those activities are the community support activities which I enjoy - Volunteering with our local neighborhood watch, and supporting our community by maintaining the Tollgate Crossing website and mailing lists. While it started out as a website focused primarily on our Neighborhood Watch (which was originally confined to the Tollgate Crossing community), it quickly grew to encompass the whole of our community, in the form of an expanded website and a variety of email mailing lists. Later, I spun the Neighborhood Watch portions off to form it's/their own website. Now the Tollgate Crossing website is focused on the Tollgate Crossing community, with links to the Neighborhood Watch website. Here are a few changes I made at our community website in the last few days:

* Welcome: Updated the banners/badges on the Welcome page. I updated the Volunteers badge, removing some info and adding new links. I updated the badge for our community email lists; removing some Neighborhood Watch info. I removed the banner for our next Neighborhood Watch picnic planning meeting. Finally, I added a badge for our new Neighborhood Watch website - The Southeast Aurora Neighborhood Watch.
* eMail_lists: Removed most of the info about the Neighborhood Watch mailing lists. They've been moved to the new Southeast Aurora Neighborhood Watch website. Left behind a short paragraph and a re-direct to the new Southeast Aurora Neighborhood Watch website. Revised the commercial solicitation policy (at the bottom of the eMail lists webpage). Removed references to the Neighborhood Watch, as it now has it's own website.
* Neighborhood_Watch: Deleted most of the Neighborhood Watch information, as it now has it's own website. What remains here is a short paragraph with links to the new website. This page will remain, in a revised form, in order to inform residents about the community's neighborhood watch program.
* Events: Removed a banner for our next Neighborhood Watch picnic planning meeting. I added a candidates Q&A paragraph, for our upcoming (4 May) Tollgate Crossing Metro District election. Updated links for some upcoming Neighborhood Watch events; converted the links so they point to the new Southeast Aurora Neighborhood Watch website.
* Alert_Me: I completely removed this page. It has been re-created over at the new Southeast Aurora Neighborhood Watch website.
* Volunteer: I removed a few of the paragraphs which called for Neighborhood Watch volunteers. The Neighborhood Watch now has a single paragraph requesting volunteers from our community, and the links point to the new Southeast Aurora Neighborhood Watch website.
* Info: I changed the order of some information. I updated the Neighborhood Watch information. Some of it was out of date, and most of it has been redirected with new links. I also added a link to the Aurora Police Department's Neighborhood Watch website. There's some good info at that website. Finally, I added links to the latest meeting minutes from our Metro District meetings. Newly posted minutes (the revised and approved minutes) come from meetings on the 16th of Nov, 2009, the 26th of Jan, 2010, and the 23rd of Feb, 2010.
* Policy: I revised and updated the policies which govern the Tollgate Crossing website and mailing lists. I removed references and links to the Neighborhood Watch, as it now has it's own website.

If you are a resident of 'Tollgate Crossing' (in Aurora, Colorado), you might want to check out the website. It's loaded with information about our community and you can even sign up for some of the email mailing lists that serve our community. If you're a fan of "Rob's World!" you'll want to check out the web page, just to see what can be done with Apple's iWeb software. The web page turned out very nicely, and I hope it serves our community well.
<http://www.tollgatecrossing.org/Welcome.html>
<http://www.apple.com/ilife/iweb/>

More Snow!
It's late April, and the snow just won't quit. Winter just won't surrender it's grip on Aurora, Colorado. This part of Colorado often gets snow late into April, it's just a little bit odd to see snow after you've started mowing the lawn, the trees are budding, and the Robins returned. On the 24th and 25th, we got another reminder that Colorado weather doesn't always make sense. While I was working, the snow started flying. Co-workers - Smokers - brought the surprising report. I checked for myself, and sure enough; the snow was coming down quite heavily. I went back to work, and the snow kept coming. While the snow at work was quite light; less than 1/4 inch accumulated. The ride home proved to be a bit more interesting. Overnight, the area of around our house got quite a bit more. Rising in elevation as I headed home, I noticed the accumulation increasing. While it was still dark, I could clearly see that we had more than 1" of snow on the ground. Nothing on the concrete, so I wouldn't have to shovel, but it sure was weird to find fresh crunchy snow coating everyone's lawn.

Just another reminder - I may live at 39 degrees latitude, but I'm also living above 6,000ft. Snow in April isn't exactly rare in Colorado. Remember April of 2007? Back in '07, we had a pretty wicked storm back then, so don't be surprised if we get more...

April 23, 2010

April's Movie Acquisitions:
I bought some new movies in March, and the recent release of one particular movie, drove me to make some more acquisitions this month. I purchased three movies during the month of April (purchased from Wal-Mart). Only one of the movies was purchased from my 'Must Buy' list. Wal-Mart's selection isn't the best, but they do have great prices on new releases, and that's what got me out at midnight... So what are the new movies?

New movies:
* Avatar: (2009 - Action, adventure, sci-fi, thriller, romance / U.S., U.K.) Written and directed by James Cameron (Alien, The Terminator, Titanic). Starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang and many others. I went and saw this movie in the theater. It's the first '3D' film I've seen in a long, long, long time. This movie was filmed in 'RealD-3D', a technology which uses circularly polarized light to produce stereoscopic images. This technology allows viewers to tilt their head and look about the theater naturally with no loss of 3D perception. Amazing! As the movie got going, I found myself looking all over the place, exploring the limits of the screen, the environment of the movie. This visual exploration produced some feelings of disorientation, and I eventually decided to stop 'rubber-necking' and focus on the movie. Viewing the offered point of focus completely eliminated any disorientation. The 3D effects were truly spectacular, and they definitely added to the movies overall impact. Another technology featured in this movie was an advanced motion-capture technique. This technology transformed the cgi characters into highly realistic replicas of the real-life actors. I found the cgi to be flawless, so life-like that I completely bought it. This movie was a visually stunning smorgasbord. It sucked me in entirely, and these technologies were two of the reasons why I loved this movie. The story is an environmental, anti-imperialist, cultural-preservation treatise. Humans in the far future, have conquered space travel in order to seek out extra-terrestrial resources. The arrogance of might-makes-right is mixed with scientific curiosity and lip service to diplomacy. The Humans have 'invaded' the eden-like planet of Pandora in order to mine a precious resource - Something called 'Unobtanium'. The Humans are mining this mineral without regard to the native intelligent species of Pandora. The "Na'vi" are a tribal people with very strong ties to their environment. Their highly complex and evolved culture rebels at the presence of these invaders, but their 'technology' is primitive and ineffective in comparison to that wielded by the Humans. The Humans liaise with the natives by way of 'Avatars'. Bio-engineered blanks which perfectly mimic the "Na'vi" in physical appearance. These Avatars are mindless shells which Human 'drivers' control using a mind-melding, remote-control technology. Initially, the Humans use their Avatars to study the "Na'vi" and educate each other, but that changes when the military and company men decide to use these Avatars as instruments of diplomacy, espionage and deception. While the intentions of these 'corporate' minded Humans is rather clear, they didn't quite count on the drivers developing actual relationships with these primitives. When the Humans decide to disregard the natives in their quest for more Unobtanium, a clash of cultures and outright aggression threatens the "Na'vi" with genocide. The struggle is epic, glorious and I couldn't pry my eyes away from the screen. At nearly three hours long, the dark theater and 3D took their toll. I wish they had offered an intermission, as my eyes were badly abused by the time the curtain fell. At times the plot felt a bit over the top, a bit contrived, a bit preachy. Despite this fact, the characters were believable, the environment completely engrossing, the effects sublime, and the setting amazing. The acting and direction were outstanding, and I found myself applauding (along with many other patrons) as the movie came to an end. On February 2nd, 47 days after its domestic release, Avatar overtook Titanic to become the highest-grossing film of all time in Canada and the United States. It is also the highest-grossing film of all time in at least 30 other markets. 5 out of 5.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatar_(2009_film)#Box_office>
* Die Hard: (1988 - Action, crime, thriller) I haven't seen this movie in ages, but now I own two copies. I couldn't resist the purchase of a three movie DVD set, so now I've got a DVD version. Who knows whether that old VHS player still works. I'll have to watch the movie again, before I write a review, but my standing rating for this movie is 5 out of 5.
* Die Hard 2 - Die Harder: (1990 - Action, thriller) Another movie I haven't seen in ages, but now I own two copies. I couldn't resist the purchase of a three movie DVD set, so now I've got a DVD version. Who knows whether that old VHS player still works? Before I write a review, I'll have to watch this movie again. My movies database indicates a 4 of 5 rating.
* Die Hard - With a Vengeance: (1995 - Action, crime, thriller) Another movie I haven't seen in ages. The purchase of a three movie bundle - For $10.00, brings a DVD copy to my collection. Before I write a full review, I'll have to watch this movie again. According to Netflix, I've rated this movie 4 out of 5, but I'll refrain from a rating in my database until I've seen the movie again.

With these new purchases, I updated the main movies page, my 'must buy' list, the listing of my movie collection, the reviews page, and an alphabetical index that I'm working on.
<https://www.robsworld.org/movies.html>
<https://www.robsworld.org/movies.html #bought>
<https://www.robsworld.org/mymovies/index.html>
<https://www.robsworld.org/reviews.html>

Software favorites:
Another beta release for one of my favorite software applications. GraphicConverter moves ever forward. As usual, developer has been busy updating this application. Here is one more release for the product that's always getting better. Another free update for those who own a license. If you need a powerhouse converter, editor and browser for your graphics, grab a copy of GraphicConverter - You won't be disappointed.

GraphicConverter:
Thorsten Lemke (of Lemkesoft) released another beta release this week. This time the beta release jumps forward from b5 to b12. Thorsten's been busy, too busy to publicly announce or release the slew of betas that come and go. This week I saw/downloaded the following update: 6.7.2b12. GraphicConverter is an image converter and editor. A fantastic piece of shareware that is well worth the price ($35.00). I use it to convert image formats into web standard formats, to create and edit image maps and other graphics. I've been singing GC's praises for many years now, and I'm not sure I would do without it. The best part about GC is it's author. Thorsten Lemke is completely committed to his customer base. Constantly and Continuously responding to customer recommendations and bug reports. GC is a dynamic, evolving, application. Always on the cutting edge, an absolute must in any web developers tool box. At a fraction of PhotoShop's cost, this photo editor puts a huge wrench in your toolbox.
<http://www.lemkesoft.com/xd/public/content/index._cGlkPTE5Mw_.html>

With this software update, I've updated my Software Favorites page. It's primarily dedicated to web publishing for the Mac user. Not meant for the professional, It's my hope that home users and hobbyists will find it useful. It's a listing of applications that I find useful in publishing my web pages.
<https://www.robsworld.org/myfavs.html>

Snow!? - What The?
It's late April, who would have thought that the snow wasn't over with? Well, it's not exactly a huge surprise. This part of Colorado often gets snow late into April, it's just a little bit odd to see snow after you've started mowing the lawn, the trees are budding, and the Robins returned. On the 23rd of April, we got another reminder that snow still isn't out of the picture. My joints were aching on Thursday night (22 Apr), so I figured we were due for some rain. We got our fair share of rain earlier in the week. It rained all day on the 22nd, and it started raining again on the 23rd. As the day progressed, temperatures dropped into the freezing range. Eventually, the precipitation switched over from rain to sleet and then to - You guessed it - Snow! For a brief period of time (during the day), everything that was green was covered in snow. It only lasted for a few hours. Just another reminder - I may live at 39 degrees latitude, but I'm also living above 6,000ft in altitude. Remember April of 2007? Back in '07, we had a pretty wicked storm on the 23 - 25th of April in that year. So don't be surprised if we get more...
<https://www.robsworld.org/barometer.html>

* Welcome: Updated the look of the front page. Added some contact info for our PAR (Police Area Representative) and the HAC (Head Area Coordinator).
* eMail_lists: Updated the 'watchcaptains' mailing list. It's now the 'tollgateblockcaptains' mailing list. This name change prepares our Neighborhood Watch for a series of mailing lists, dedicated to the various communities in our area. Moved all the Neighborhood Watch mailing lists to the new server.

If you are a resident of Southeast Aurora, Colorado, you might want to check out the new website (Serving the following communities: Tollgate Crossing, Sorrel Ranch, The Wheatlands, Beacon Point, Southshore, Tallyn’s Reach, Saddle Rock - North, Serenity Ridge, Black Stone, Heritage Eagle Bend and Rocking Horse). The new site turned out very nicely, and I hope it serves our community well. If you're concerned about the safety and security of our community, you might want to join our group, or subscribe to one of our mailing lists to receive periodic alerts, updates and information.
<http://www.southeastaurora-neighborhoodwatch.org/Welcome.html>
<http://www.southeastaurora-neighborhoodwatch.org/eMail_lists.html>

New Website - Southeast Aurora Neighborhood Watch:
Over the last few days, I set up a new website. A website for the local Neighborhood Watch. For some time now, I've advocated a new website for our local Neighborhood Watch, and this new website is the culmination of that advocacy. Our Neighborhood Watch started out in October of 2007 as a small core of dedicated individuals. Formed within my neighborhood, we were a small group of residents determined to keep our community safe and secure. Although the Neighborhood Watch started out small, we quickly grew to encompass many of the communities in this area. As the Neighborhood Watch grew, I did my best to serve the group by setting up a website and some mailing lists. Until recently, I've hosted the Neighborhood Watch web pages at the Tollgate Crossing domain. Now the Neighborhood Watch has a dedicated website - The Southeast Aurora Neighborhood Watch website: <http://www.southeastaurora-neighborhoodwatch.org>. Built to serve all the communities of our Neighborhood Watch (Tollgate Crossing, Sorrel Ranch, The Wheatlands, Beacon Point, Southshore, Tallyn’s Reach, Saddle Rock - North, Serenity Ridge, Black Stone, Heritage Eagle Bend and Rocking Horse), this new website has eight pages and a large amount of content. I pulled most of the content from the old website, but there's plenty of new stuff as well. The new website will undergo some changes and many updates in the days to come, but there it is, a new website - Check it out!
<http://www.southeastaurora-neighborhoodwatch.html>

* Welcome: Updated the banners/badges on the Welcome page. I added a link and updated the wording (on a badge) regarding regarding dead trees in our community (appx 185 dead trees), and the possible consequences. Updated picnic planning meeting info (20 Apr). Updated a banner for the 2nd annual Neighborhood Watch picnic (15 May). Added a link to the 2nd annual Neighborhood Watch picnic flyer. Updated banner for next HOA meeting (11 May). Removed request for volunteers (from badge) to distribute HOA newsletters. Updated badge for mailing lists. Removed info boxes for Tollgate Business mailing list and web site.
* Events: Updated the date for our next picnic planning meeting info (20 Apr). This picnic planning meeting will take place at the Beacon Point clubhouse. Updated date for next HOA meeting (11 May). Updated info for the 2nd annual Neighborhood Watch picnic (15 May). Added a link to the 2nd annual Neighborhood Watch picnic flyer. Updated list of communities served by Neighborhood Watch. Added a new event entry for the Independence Day picnic (4 Jul). Added a new event entry for the community garage sale (21 - 23 May). Added a new entry for an evening at the Plains Conservation Center (21 Jul).
* Volunteer: Removed the request for volunteers to distribute HOA newsletters. Updated info regarding our next NW picnic planning meeting (20 Apr). Added links to the 2nd annual Neighborhood Watch picnic flyer. Made entry for the Independence Day picnic (4 Jul).
* eMail_lists: Added info about a new mailing list. The HOA newsletter mailing list. This new list will be used by the HOA in order to distribute the HOA newsletter electronically. Updated other lists. There were several errors. Reorganized the order of the lists. Changed the format of the Neighborhood Watch mailing lists. Updated list of communities served by Neighborhood Watch.
* Neighborhood_Watch: Updated banner for the 2nd annual Neighborhood Watch picnic (15 May). Added a link to the 2nd annual Neighborhood Watch picnic flyer. Updated list of communities served by Neighborhood Watch. Updated info regarding our next NW picnic planning meeting (20 Apr).
* Info: Updated list of communities served by Neighborhood Watch. Updated PAR (Police Area Representative) info. Updated info regarding Neighborhood Watch meetings.

If you are a resident of 'Tollgate Crossing' in Aurora, Colorado, you might want to check out the new website. If you're interested in our Neighborhood Watch group (Serving Tollgate Crossing, Sorrel Ranch, The Wheatlands, Beacon Point, Southshore and Tallyn’s Reach), you should check out the Neighborhood Watch section. If you're a fan of "Rob's World!" you'll want to check out the web page, just to see what can be done with Apple's iWeb software. The web page turned out very nicely, and I hope it serves our community well. If you're a resident of Tollgate Crossing, and you're concerned about the safety and security of our community, you might want to join our mailing lists to receive periodic alerts, updates and information.
<http://www.tollgatecrossing.org/Welcome.html>
<http://www.apple.com/ilife/iweb/>

Bring on the Handyman:
It'll take a while, but eventually I'll become a handy man. Owning a new home brings all kinds of new responsibilities to the first time home owner, and I'm no exception. This week (2nd/3rd week of Apr '10) I bested the sprinkler system.

It's spring, and it's time to start watering the lawn. Last year I waited until May before I started watering the lawn, and now I'm starting to think I should have waited a bit longer (See weather related entries above). This year, I defeated the sprinkler system. It took a few years (we moved into this house (our first) back in 2005), but I think I've finally figured it out (The mechanical aptitude portion of my ASVAB test was the only portion where I scored below 99).

I was armed with a series of photos and notes on how to turn the sprinklers on. This time, when I turned the water on (in the basement), there weren't any spurting surprises, broken water lines or gushing lawn geysers. I had a couple of sprinkler heads that need replacing, but this years battle goes to me. After an initial inspection, Kim programmed the sprinkler zones, and I called our 'actual' handyman to patch up some of the stuff that I wasn't inclined to (for one reason or another).

In addition to the sprinkler battle, I did some other spring, yard work. I cut the lawn - That took three hours; with bagging, trimming, and some thorough edging. I took the bicycle down from the rafters of the garage - That was quite a trick, with the fifteen foot cieling (in the garage) and our big ladder. I ended up with a nasty bruise on my wrist. I picked up all the rocks scattered by the snowblower. Finally, I dosed all those nasty weeds with a good coating of weed killer.

April 16, 2010

Netflix adds closed captioning:
Good news for many Netflix subscribers. While television has had closed captioning for many years, DVDs have included subtitles since the start. Unfortunately, Netflix's Watch Instantly has lacked any such capability since the begriming. Sadly, customers who are deaf or hard of hearing have been unable to enjoy the streaming movies (and television) offered by Netflix. Last year, Neil Hunt (Chief Product Officer at Netflix) promised that closed captioning would be provided within a years time. Less than a year later, and Netflix has followed up on that promise. As of April 15, Netflix has enabled closed captioning (for those using the Silverlight plugin for streaming) for some TV episodes and movies via 'Watch Instantly'. Although it's a limited library (about 100 titles), Netflix now has the technology in place and they'll undoubtedly be working to fill in the library over time.
<http://blog.netflix.com/2010/04/subtitles-now-available-for-some-titles.html>

D&D updates:
We played our last D&D session on the 3rd of April. Here are couple of the updates from that meeting. With the conclusion of our 8 August meeting, the players have moved into an entirely new phase of the game. Gone are the S.C.R.E.W.O.F.F.S. - Existing now as a group of non-player characters. The player characters are now members of an entirely new group. The H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights. This new group of adventurers is poised to strike out from Whillip. In search of glory, fame, and justice, they seek to right the wrongs of this land. To defend the weak, enslaved and oppressed. Striking out at evil and taint, this group of characters vow to make their mark upon the land. Let H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights be a name both feared (by evil) and revered by the (good) citizens of these realms.

The Adventurers journal:
The tale of our adventurers. A series of journal entries from various party members. This document contains details of their encounters. Victory, defeat, desire and glory. Here is the tale of The H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights, a group of adventurers who set forth from Whillip, seeking fame, fortune and the defeat of evil in these lands. The meeting on the 3rd of April sees the party out on the road. On their way to the next adventure. It's going to be a long overland journey, and there will be many more days just like this one. This entry features inputs from Mutteran, and Skifander. The party fought a heated battle with a group of creatures called 'Tall Mouthers', while Skifander had a heated dream. Thanks to Lee and Sean for their continued input and support. Hopefully we can see some journal entries from Kim, Lars or Kevin in the future.
<https://www.robsworld.org/ajournal08.html#apr03 2010>

Players in our campaign:
With Joe's recent departure from our group, I had to make some changes to the character annotations beneath our players photo. Right now we've got room for one or two new players in our group. If you know someone who'd like to join, who'd enjoy our adventures, please point them in my direction. A group of crazy characters constitute the players in our campaign. Many players have graced my gaming table over the years, some are old friends, some are new, but in the end - friends are what I call them. The players page contains a photo of our group and a short listing of who we are.
<https://www.robsworld.org/players.html>

Monsters encountered:
On the road - As the party takes to the open road, they find themselves to be the target for numerous hungry, belligerent, and simply curious creatures. During our most recent gaming sessions, the party battled a group of creatures called Tall Mouthers - A large Furry, blue, whirling dervish of devastation. As a result of that combat, I updated the entry for the monster; and added some info relayed by Mutteran. The monsters page is a listing of monsters that the party has encountered, read about, or heard of.
<https://www.robsworld.org/monsters.html>

These updates follow our meeting on the 3rd of April . This session, and the previous ones (this year) represent the early days of a new adventure. The eighth adventure for our group. In search of glory, fame, and justice, the H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights seek to right the wrongs of this land. To defend the weak, enslaved and oppressed. Striking out at evil and taint, this group of characters vow to make their mark upon the land. Let H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights be a name feared by evil and revered by the good citizens of these realms. Departing on the 1st of Mavis, the party has decided to help the citizens of Deepwood in their quest to vanquish a Blue Dragon from their backyard. After picking up supplies, horses, and some information in Westgate, the party has taken to the open road. The road has proven dangerous and long. The party has fought many foes along the way, lost one of their own, and recruited a new companion to strengthen their numbers. With Gregor departed and Pyrceval enjoined, the party is back on the road again - Fighting Air Elementals, Chimeras, Tall Mouthers, and more. Enjoying the last of Mutteran's stew, Pyrceval's ballads, and keeping an eye out for Gamorette the renegade Orc and crew.
<https://www.robsworld.org/ajournal08.html#apr03_2010>
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ecampaign.html>

Netflix news for owners of a Nintendo Wii:
Good news for those of you who own a Nintendo Wii. Netflix recently announced compatibility with the gaming console. That's right, you've been waiting for it, now it's here. Netflix streaming over the Wii. Now you can instantly watch movies and TV shows by way of Netflix and your Wii. The key requirements: You'll need a Netflix account ($8.99 gets you the basic 1 disc at a time & 'unlimited' watch instantly services), a special 'Streaming Disc', an internet connection (with bandwidth adequate to streaming video - not dialup!), and of course - Your Wii! The disc is free with your subscription, and you'll need it in order to enjoy the 'Watch Instantly' feature. For Wii owners this is great news. No need to buy an additional device to 'Watch Instantly' and the disc comes free for those who want it. Get it now at the Netflix website.
<http://netflix.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=354>
<http://www.netflix.com/InstantStreamingDisc>

GraphicConverter:
Thorsten Lemke (of Lemkesoft) released another beta release this week. I saw/downloaded the following update: 6.7.2b5. GraphicConverter is an image converter and editor. A fantastic piece of shareware that is well worth the price ($35.00). I use it to convert image formats into web standard formats, to create and edit image maps and other graphics. I've been singing GC's praises for many years now, and I'm not sure I would do without it. The best part about GC is it's author. Thorsten Lemke is completely committed to his customer base. Constantly and Continuously responding to customer recommendations and bug reports. GC is a dynamic, evolving, application. Always on the cutting edge, an absolute must in any web developers tool box. At a fraction of PhotoShop's cost, this photo editor puts a huge wrench in your toolbox.
<http://www.lemkesoft.com/xd/public/content/index._cGlkPTE5Mw_.html>

April 8, 2010

* Welcome: Updated the banners/badges on the Welcome page. I removed the banner for the Egg Hunt - Which happened on the 27th of March. I updated the banner for our next Metro District meeting (Apr 27th).
* Events: On the Events page, I updated entries for our next Metro District meeting (Apr 27th) and removed the entry for that Egg Hunt. Which went really well, according to T'Lene our Social Committee coordinator.
* Volunteer: Finally, I removed the request for volunteers to help with the previously mentioned Egg Hunt.

iTunes New Music for April:
Here's another free track I recently acquired. Where do I get all this stuff? I find a lot of free (actually free) music by visiting several of the new music web sites (Pandora, 3hive.com, musicalfamilytree.org and several other music blogs (Analog Giant, Brooklyn Vegan, Fluxblog, Gorilla vs. Bear, etc)) out there, and listening to a few different music podcasts (iTunes new music tuesdays, discovery download, CDBaby podcasts, and indiefeed). Artists want you to hear their music - If you like it, you'll buy it. The major labels want you to pay for their product - letting you hear it for free is contrary to their business model. Well, guess what? I won't buy it unless I can listen to it first. The major labels are killing themselves with their restrictive distribution and dissemination policies. If you like new music, you can do a google search to find your favorite artists web site, a new music web site, or an archive of free music. Free music is available - Legally! Don't believe the major labels propaganda - Not all free music is illegal. You can legally download music for free. I download music from websites, newsgroups (when I already own rights to the music), and a couple of commercial sources (iTunes and eMusic). Here's the latest music I legally downloaded.

iTunes Discovery download:
Sometimes I purchase music from iTunes, and sometimes I take advantage of their free downloads (check it out on Tuesdays). iTunes is the King of the Hill when it comes to the bigger names, so sometimes I find that I have to pay the higher prices. Here's one of those free downloads from the iTunes store:
* The Mama Papa - Plants and Animals: (single) A Montreal indie rock outfit with acoustic, folk influences. Here they let go with electric instruments and more rock than folk. This sing is culled from their upcoming album. As with all free tracks from iTunes, get it now before you have to pay.

This is an example of some of the tunes I've added to my music collection during the last month. Since revamping my music collection back in September of 2005, I've been slowly adding, revising and updating the collection. If you have a comment, question or correction regarding my music collection, please don't hesitate to send me an email. Please keep in mind that my collection isn't for sale, and I'm not interested in giving you any copyrighted materials. I'd rather not go to jail for music piracy. :-)
<https://www.robsworld.org/music.html>
<http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/>

What The? - Snow!?
Perhaps you - like me - noticed my entry ("Winter is over with - Finally") on the 31st of March? I guess I got that one wrong. Who would have thought? On the 7th of April, we got a surprise in Aurora, Colorado. While my joints were aching, I figured we were due for some more rain. We got our fair share of rain on the 6th. I came across the rain on my drive to work (around 5am). No rain at our house, but less than a mile away, the roads were wet and my windshield spattered with a little pitter-patter. When I got to work it was drizzling, and I saw it rain most of the day. A very light rain persisted throughout the day, and the pavement was still wet when I drove home around 5pm. That evening my joints were aching so I took some aleve. Little did I know - In the morning there was approximately one inch on the ground. By noon we had about two inches. By 7pm it was mostly gone. Today (the 8th) the snow is all gone. Temps in the high 50's took care of Wednesday's snow. By 3pm there's nothing left. Wow - That was weird! We haven't had snow that late (as far as I can recall) since April of 2007. Back in '07, we had a pretty wicked storm on the 23 - 25th of April in that year. So much for that prediction...
<https://www.robsworld.org/iphoto/snow042407/index.html#0.html>
<https://www.robsworld.org/barometer.html>

GraphicConverter:
Thorsten Lemke (of Lemkesoft) released another beta release this week. I saw/downloaded the following update: 6.7.2b1. GraphicConverter is an image converter and editor. A fantastic piece of shareware that is well worth the price ($35.00). I use it to convert image formats into web standard formats, to create and edit image maps and other graphics. I've been singing GC's praises for many years now, and I'm not sure I would do without it. The best part about GC is it's author. Thorsten Lemke is completely committed to his customer base. Constantly and Continuously responding to customer recommendations and bug reports. GC is a dynamic, evolving, application. Always on the cutting edge, an absolute must in any web developers tool box. At a fraction of PhotoShop's cost, this photo editor puts a huge wrench in your toolbox.
<http://www.lemkesoft.com/xd/public/content/index._cGlkPTE5Mw_.html>

April 04, 2010

eMusic downloads for April:
Here's a list of some of the music I recently acquired. Where do I get all this stuff? I find a lot of free (actually free) music by visiting several of the new music web sites (Pandora, 3hive.com, musicalfamilytree.org) and several other music blogs (Analog Giant, Brooklyn Vegan, Fluxblog, Gorilla vs. Bear, etc) out there, and listening to a few different music podcasts (iTunes new music tuesdays, discovery download, and indiefeed). Artists want you to hear their music - If you like it, you'll buy it. The major labels want you to pay for their product - letting you hear it for free is contrary to their business model. Well, guess what? I won't buy it unless I can listen to it first. The major labels are killing themselves with their restrictive distribution and dissemination policies. If you like new music, you can do a google search to find your favorite artists web site, a new music web site, or an archive of free music. Free music is available - Legally! Don't believe the major labels propaganda - Not all free music is illegal. You can legally download music for free. I download music from websites, newsgroups (when I already own rights to the music), and a couple of commercial sources (iTunes and eMusic). Here's a listing of some of the music I legally downloaded - and in most cases - paid for!

eMusic monthly downloads:
Every month I download 50+ tracks (50 download credits) from eMusic.com. This month (April of 2010) I managed to download 68 tracks (due to their 'download deals' where (for example) you can download an entire 17 track album for 12 credits). Unlike some music outlets, eMusic doesn't have any DRM and they don't insert unique track id's into the ID3 tags. Their terms of service are consumer friendly; eMusic allows you to burn as many CDs as you like and copy downloads to an unlimited number of your computers and portable MP3 players, including the iPod and Zune (really?). At less than $.40 a track (I'm paying $19.99 for 50 downloads/month), it's a really good value. iTunes and Amazon still charge more. eMusic offers more music for your money, and the variable bit rate recordings make for exceptionally high quality recordings.
* Field Music (Measure) - Field Music: (20 songs) Field Music has been ringing my bell since their 2005 debut, and I have to say that this release is my favorite. Optimistic, quirky pop-jangle tunes that cry out for comparison. Reminds me immensely of early XTC and Split Enz. Light, airy, triumphant testament to melody and lyric.
* By The Hand Of The Father - Alejandro Escovedo: (15 songs) An artist with talent so powerful that I found him without trying. After the departure of 'Rank & File', I fell upon Alejandro without realizing the connections. With eMusic, I bemoaned the lack of albums until most recently. eMusic recently acquired a single album, which I quickly scooped up. This album is something unusual. It's a collection of tracks from the play (of the same name), with some narrative voice over. Hopefully they'll add more of this man's work soon. Powerful, somber and all American. Acoustic, alt-country, blues, ballads.
* End Times - Eels: (14 songs) A favorite band from the 90's, I've got most of their stuff. It's melancholy, dark, moody and surprisingly resonant. If you're a fan of the band, this is a must. The latest release from a favorite band. Alternative, experimental, progressive, a bit dark.
* Don't You Know Who I Think I Was?: The Best Of The Replacements - The Replacements: (20 songs) Another favorite from the 80s. Who would have thought that anyone could have cobbled together a 'Best Of' for this band. There are quite a few gems on this album. Unlike 'Nothing For All/All For Nothing', this compilation has songs from their days with Twin/Tone. Surprisingly, this album actually contains two new songs! What? Yup, two new songs ("Message to the Boys" and and "Pool & Dive" Both written by Westerberg). The Replacements (Chris Mars was present, but didn't play the drums (Drums by Josh Freese). Slim Dunlap didn't participate) reunited in 2006 in order to record a couple of tracks for this compilation. New Replacements tracks - Awesome!

These are some of the items I added to my music collection during the last month. Since revamping my music collection back in September of 2005, I've been slowly adding, revising and updating the collection. If you have a comment, question or correction regarding my music collection, please don't hesitate to send me an email. Please keep in mind that my collection isn't for sale, and I'm not interested in giving you any copyrighted materials. I'd rather not go to jail for music piracy. :-)
<https://www.robsworld.org/music.html>
<http://www.emusic.com/>

D&D updates:
We played our last D&D session on the 20th of March. Here are couple of the updates from that meeting. With the conclusion of our 8 August meeting, the players have moved into an entirely new phase of the game. Gone are the S.C.R.E.W.O.F.F.S. - Existing now as a group of non-player characters. The player characters are now members of an entirely new group. The H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights. This new group of adventurers is poised to strike out from Whillip. In search of glory, fame, and justice, they seek to right the wrongs of this land. To defend the weak, enslaved and oppressed. Striking out at evil and taint, this group of characters vow to make their mark upon the land. Let H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights be a name both feared by evil and revered by the good citizens of these realms.

3rd Edition Campaign:
I updated the date of our next meeting - Our next meeting is 17 April 2010. This page (The "3eCampagin" page) is the first stop for information on the campaign that I'm currently running. Here you'll find information regarding our next meeting, some notes, and an index of web pages and documents that are important to our campaign. You can also check out the latest group photo.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ecampaign.html>

The Adventurers journal:
The tale of our adventurers. A series of journal entries from various party members. This document contains details of their encounters. Victory, defeat, desire and glory. Here is the tale of The H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights, a group of adventurers who set forth from Whillip, seeking fame, fortune and the defeat of evil in these lands. The meeting on the 20th of March sees the party out on the road. On their way to the next adventure. It's going to be a long overland journey, and there will be many more days just like this one. This entry features input from Mutteran and a ballad by Pyrceval. Thanks to Lee for Mutteran's journal entry and transcription of Pyrceval's ballad. Hopefully we can see some journal entries from Joe, Kim and Kevin in the future.
<https://www.robsworld.org/ajournal08.html#mar20_2010>

Character Updates:
Typically, the updates to this document usually revolve around the characters. In this instance, it's an NPC with updates. Recent rumors put one NPC in the path of conflict with our player characters and other agents of good. Gamorette the renegade Orc leads a group of bandit followers. Raiding traders and settlements in the shadow of the Giant's Run Mountains. With the conclusion of our 20 March meeting, I've updated some details regarding this NPC. The "Who's Who?" page is a listing of characters, both player characters and non-player characters.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ewhoswho.html>

Monsters encountered:
On the road - As the party takes to the open road, they find themselves to be the target for numerous hungry, belligerent, and simply curious creatures. During some of our more recent gaming sessions, the party battled a Guulvorg and it's Goblin master. As a result of these encounters, I updated the entry for the monster; adding some rumors relayed by a group of Goblins encountered along the trail. Later, the party had a run in with some new monsters. As a result of that encounter, I added the Chimera to the monsters page. The monsters page is a listing of monsters that the party has encountered, read about, or heard of.
<https://www.robsworld.org/monsters.html>

These updates follow our meetings on the 20th of March. This session is representative of the early days in a new adventure. The eighth adventure for our group. In search of glory, fame, and justice, the H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights seek to right the wrongs of this land. To defend the weak, enslaved and oppressed. Striking out at evil and taint, this group of characters vow to make their mark upon the land. Let H.A.L.L.O.W.ed Knights be a name feared by evil and revered by the good citizens of these realms. Departing on the 1st of Mavis, the party has decided to help the citizens of Deepwood in their quest to vanquish a Blue Dragon from their backyard. After picking up supplies, horses, and some information in Westgate, the party has taken to the open road. The road has proven dangerous and long. The party has fought many foes along the way, lost one of their own, and recruited a new companion to strengthen their numbers. With Gregor departed and Pyrceval enjoined, the party is back on the road again - Fighting Air Elementals, Chimeras and more. Enjoying the last of Mutteran's stew, and keeping an eye out for Gamorette the renegade Orc and crew.
<https://www.robsworld.org/3ecampaign.html>

Software favorites:
Another full release for one of my favorite software applications. GraphicConverter moves ever forward. As usual, developer has been busy updating this application. Here is one more release for the product that's always getting better. Another free update for those who own a license. If you need a powerhouse converter, editor and browser for your graphics, grab a copy of GraphicConverter - You won't be disappointed.

GraphicConverter:
Thorsten Lemke (of Lemkesoft) released another beta release this week. I saw/downloaded the following update: 6.7.1. GraphicConverter is an image converter and editor. A fantastic piece of shareware that is well worth the price ($35.00). I use it to convert image formats into web standard formats, to create and edit image maps and other graphics. I've been singing GC's praises for many years now, and I'm not sure I would do without it. The best part about GC is it's author. Thorsten Lemke is completely committed to his customer base. Constantly and Continuously responding to customer recommendations and bug reports. GC is a dynamic, evolving, application. Always on the cutting edge, an absolute must in any web developers tool box. At a fraction of PhotoShop's cost, this photo editor puts a huge wrench in your toolbox.
<http://www.lemkesoft.com/xd/public/content/index._cGlkPTE5Mw_.html>

Squeezebox Radio Perfect Radio Reception:
So, I've been listening to the radio for many years. I prefer radio/audio to video/television. The audio format affords me the opportunity to work while I listen, to listen while I'm jogging, running, on the treadmill, riding a bike, reading, etc. I'm a multi-tasker. I tend to do multiple things at one time. Whether it's reading while I'm on the treadmill, or listening to some audio program while I'm writing (like I am at the moment). Unfortunately, that sometimes means that I need to use an AM or FM radio. I've got an HD radio in the living room, and that's pretty good, but the range on HD radio isn't as good as traditional AM/FM. Another problem is variety on AM/FM/HD. These broadcast channels tend to be corporate, filled with advertisement, non-critical. There are some good programs on the air, but most are crap.

So, what to do about this problem? Listen to Internet radio - Audio streamed over the internet. This alleviates all those transmission problems. No more fading, interference, multi-path, power hum, etc. Internet radio also alleviates the problem of diversity. Internet radio is full of variety. An immense amount of choice. No matter what sort of niche you're into, there's a podcast, audio stream, audio program of some sort to suit your needs or satisfy your desires. What about satellite radio? Well, it works. It works well, it's got a fair amount of variety, but it still suffers from a couple of problems. Some fading/attenuation during stormy weather, and the biggest problem? It costs money to listen to. Internet audio beats AM, FM, HD and Satellite radio. The only problem? It's not portable. Internet radio is attached to my computer. I can't exactly carry my computer (A MacPro) into the other room. My laptop is a bit more portable, but it's still a no-go proposition when it comes to portability. Finally, the iPod/iPhone liberates that internet radio, allowing me to move freely from room to room.

Even the iPod/iPhone solution has a couple of problems. I've got to keep it synched, requiring physical connection, synching, then ejection. The sound is tiny - confined to headphones or requiring docking or connection to another sound system. The iPod/iPhone solution has it's uses, on the treadmill, on the bike, in any situation where I can afford to tether the device to my immediate person. So, Internet audio is the solution, but the device needs greater portability and big room sound. The answer? After a bit of research, comparison and consideration, I've selected my solution - The Logitech Squeezebox Radio. (Logitech isn't the only game in this town, so make sure you compare and contrast in order to select the right radio for your needs)

I purchased a Logitech Squeezebox radio a couple of days ago (ordered from Amazon on the 22nd of March). It arrived (via USPS) on the 1st, and I set it up immediately. What a fantastic appliance! With Wi-Fi running throughout the house, the Squeezebox stays connected everywhere in the house. It even works in the garage, on the front porch, and out back. I guess I put the TimeCapsule in the right place. Thousands of channels available on demand, or streaming live. Highly programmable, and customizable. Free local stations from every corner of the internet. Access to music services such as Pandora, Slacker and Rhapsody. Connect and stream your music library to any room. This little gem even has a 7 day programmable alarm, line in for your iPod, ability to play XM/Sirius (with a paid subscription), media streaming software and a big enough speaker to fill the room. It works with Mac, Widows and various Unix varieties. Check it out. If you're looking to liberate your internet audio, this device will satiate your appetite.
<http://www.logitechsqueezebox.com/products/squeezebox-radio.html>